The Dog Days of Summer are Here—and Then Some for the East Coast

The rocking might have been slight and lasted mere seconds, but Washington D.C. is still feeling the effects of yesterday's 5.9 earthquake.

In addition to the National Cathedral sustaining damage, it's been reported that the Washington Monument became crackedat the top, leading the obelisk—one of the most prominent tourist landmarks—to be closed until further notice.

On the heels of this news, East Coast residents are bracing for more impact, with Hurricane Irene on its way over the weekend and Monday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center has labeled it a Category 3 hurricane, the first of the year, with winds reaching 115 mph and rising. In preparation, evacuationshave begun in the small tourist hamlet Ocracoke Island off of North Carolina.

This year has been one of the most extreme for weather, with various parts of the country witnessing record high temperatures, floods, tornadoes and droughts. Unfortunately, according to climatologists, it seems Mother Nature might just be getting started.

For more extreme weather-related stories, check out these WD articles:

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